1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of forming concrete surfaces, and specifically to a method for providing a smooth, permanent watertight concrete pool surface without the need to laminate the cured concrete slab, thereby reducing the time, labor, cost and defects associated with laminating in-ground concrete pool surfaces.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Methods of creating and laminating concrete floor surfaces are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,496 issued to Danielsson, discloses a method of forming concrete floors for high-rise buildings wherein wet concrete mix is deposited and screeded to form concrete having a uniform thickness. The surface of the concrete is then floated to produce a generally flat surface. The surface of the concrete is treated by means of a power grinder, before the concrete has completely cured, to produce a flat, sanded surface.
The method described in Danielsson is specifically for cement floors in buildings and the resulting concrete surface is a rough, xe2x80x9csandedxe2x80x9d surface; a requirement for building floors, which require traction for liability purposes. However, a rough, sanded concrete finish is impractical for pool floor surfaces, which are preferably smooth, glossy, and watertight, and are the result of the method described in Applicant""s invention. Applicant""s invention is further distinguished from Danielsson since it allows the concrete to fully cure prior to grinding the concrete surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,677 issued to Phillips, Sr., describes a method of fabricating a high gloss concrete floor. A finished floor surface layer is created by applying a dry shake dressing material containing quartz crystals and a coloring agent to the surface of a slab, floating the surface and waiting for the surface to cure. Curing sealer is applied, the sealer removed, and the upper surface is polished and sanded.
However, the invention in Phillips includes the step of applying a dry shake. This step actually applies an additional layer containing aggregates, to the concrete surface. Applicant""s invention on the other hand, eliminates this step by grinding the original cement surface to expose its aggregates, without the need to apply a second aggregate-based coating.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,824 issued to Ytterberg et al. describes a method for forming a roller compacted concrete industrial floor slab including the steps of applying a no-slump concrete to a slab, finishing the slab by applying a finish surface mixture of cement-coated grit, and troweling the slab surface to obtain a smooth, burnished surface finish. Ytterberg describes a process requiring that an additional coat, including aggregates, be applied to the concrete surface. The method used by Ytterberg includes the step of troweling the surface after the additional coat is applied. Applicant""s invention does not include this additional step of applying a second coating. The grinding process utilized by Applicant exposes the aggregates already present in the original concrete mixture.
Typically, in order to create a smooth concrete surface, for example, a pool surface, a cement mix is prepared and poured into an appropriately sized hole or ditch. After the concrete is cured and finished, a second coating usually comprised of plaster, is applied to the cured surface. The plaster coating is usually applied with use of a gun, or is hand-troweled onto the cured concrete surface.
This process of applying a second coating or laminate smoothes out the surface of the concrete and is usually mandatory for pool surfaces, since without it, walking on the cement surface would cause injury due to the rough, often uneven surface texture.
However, applying an additional coating is time-intensive, usually a three-hour process and costly. Further, the laminate coatings tend to dissolve and deteriorate after time due either to inherent imperfections in the laminate or to incorrect application. Deterioration of the laminate is akin to paint peeling off of a wall. The result is a waste of money, time and labor.
Accordingly, what is needed is a method to overcome the afore-mentioned problems in the art by eliminating the step of applying a second plaster-like finish or coating to the concrete surface, by grinding the surface of the concrete after curing. After grinding, aggregates, which already present in the concrete are exposed, and a smooth finish can be obtained without the need for an additional coating of plaster laminate.
It is, therefore, to the effective resolution of the aforementioned problems and shortcomings of the prior art that the present invention is directed.
The present invention is a method for preparing concrete surfaces and in particular, in-ground pool surfaces, by grinding the cured concrete surface to expose aggregates inherent in the concrete mixture thereby eliminating the step of applying a separate, additional aggregate coating to the concrete surface.
Specifically, the present invention comprises the steps of preparing a pool site which is to receive a predetermined amount of concrete mix. The concrete mix is prepared and applied to the site to form a concrete structure, the structure having an upper surface, a bottom surface and a predetermined thickness. The upper surface of the structure becomes the upward facing pool surface. A finish is applied to the concrete mix to produce a finished concrete surface. The concrete is allowed to fully cure, usually for a minimum of thirty (30) days. Plumbing fixtures are then inspected and grout is applied to the cured concrete to seal in the moisture and to assure watertightness of the plumbing fixtures.
In an alternate embodiment, a curing membrane is applied to the concrete surface to hold the moisture within the concrete. Finally, the cured concrete surface is subjected to grinding using a grinding tool such as a water-driven rotary tool, to expose the aggregates within the concrete. The result is a smooth, watertight pool surface, which eliminates the need for additional coatings and reveals the aggregates within the concrete, thereby allowing the pool designer to create a multitude of possible aggregate-based design patterns on the pool surface by allowing for different colored aggregates to be blended in the mixture and exposed subsequent to grinding.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method of preparing a smooth, glossy, watertight concrete surface without the need for a separate application of laminate.
It is another object of this invention to reduce time, cost and labor by providing a method of preparing in-ground pool surfaces that exposes the aggregates within the concrete mix thereby eliminating the step of applying an additional finishing coat containing aggregates.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cost-effective method for allowing swimming pool designers to create a variety of swimming pool surface colors and designs by incorporating different types and amounts of aggregate within the original cement mixture.
In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.